About East Bay Economic Development Alliance

Darien Louie

Executive Director

(510) 272-3874 | Darien@EastBayEDA.org

Darien Louie has over 40 years of experience in program development, fund development, economic development and community investment. Her background includes work in community non-profit, public sector and corporate partnership settings, and also experience as an entrepreneur. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Alameda County Workforce Development Board, the Oakland Workforce Development Board, ICA Fund Good Jobs, and the Jefferson Awards Foundation.

She has been recognized as Alameda County’s Woman of the Year for Assembly District 16, Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and received a City of Oakland Proclamation for “Darien Louie Day” from then Mayor Jerry Brown.

Darien is a Bay Area native and resides in Oakland with her husband Michael Fong. Her son, Ryan, is a recent graduate from her alma mater, UC Berkeley.

Robert Sakai

Technology & Trade Director

(510) 272-3881 | Robert@EastBayEDA.org

Robert currently provides staff support for East Bay EDA’s activities involving trade and the region’s extensive technology resources. Having retired in 2012 as one of the organization’s original staff members, Robert was asked to come back in 2013 as a part time resource to provide institutional history for an organization that is built upon network relationships. Robert was also called upon to reinstate East Bay EDA’s international business services and to provide technical expertise in dealing with foreign dignitaries, Consuls General, and venture capital activity.

Robert received his AB degree in history from Harvard College, received an MA in Sociology from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, conducted two years of research at Tokyo University and received his MCP degree from the UC Berkeley.

Jackie Keliiaa

Regional Economic Development Director

(510) 272-6843 | Jackie@EastBayEDA.org

Jackie Keliiaa is the Regional Economic Development Director at East Bay EDA, primarily supporting East Bay EDA city/town members and the Business Development & Resources Committee.

Jackie is an experienced researcher with a focus on data analysis, graphic design and policy development. Prior to joining the East Bay EDA, Jackie served as an urban planning consultant and most recently worked for the City of Alameda. Jackie is committed to building communities that are equitable, politically active and healthy.

Jackie received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from UC Berkeley and Master of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University. Jackie is a proud East Bay native who resides in Oakland.

Xian Ballesteros

Senior Economic Development Analyst

(510) 272-3885 | Xian@EastBayEDA.org

Xian Ballesteros is a Senior Economic Development Analyst, supporting East Bay EDA’s members and leadership committees of Employer Advisory for Workforce Development, International Trade & Investment, and Marketing & Communications.

Xian brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit management and public sector work. Prior to joining East Bay EDA, Xian served as Director of Development for a $12M social service agency in Silicon Valley, where he oversaw fundraising, communication, and community engagement.

A Bay Area native and East Bay resident, Xian received a Bachelor of Arts from UC Santa Cruz and a Master of Public Affairs from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.

Michael Northam

Economic Development Analyst

(510) 272-3889 | Michael@EastBayEDA.org

Michael Northam serves as an Economic Development Analyst supporting East Bay EDA’s members. An experienced researcher, Michael brings a wide array of experience to the East Bay EDA. He has worked on projects ranging from an economic impact assessment of proposed minimum wage increases to an assessment of proposed development impact fees. Prior to joining the East Bay EDA team, Michael most recently worked for the City of Alameda assisting with the management and redevelopment efforts of Alameda Point-the former Naval Air Station located in the City of Alameda. Michael received both his Bachelor of Science Degree and Master of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Arizona. He moved from Arizona to Oakland in 2011 where he lives with his wife.

EDA works closely with Cal/EPA and other local partners to create the first Permit Assistance Center in the state, with continuous efforts to improve collaboration between business and regulatory agencies. One-stop permitting centers operating in the East Bay are an outgrowth of this effort (1995).

EDA resolves Port of Oakland channel dredging impasse by convening and building consensus among fishermen, conservation groups, shipping interests, and others to use spoils from dredging the channel 42 feet deep to create wetlands (1991). EDA continued support to dredge the Port of Oakland to 50 feet, enabling the newest and largest container ships to make deliveries directly from Asia and shorten the supply chain (2009).This effort increased the region’s competitiveness and brought in the biggest container ship to ever enter the San Francisco Bay (2012).

In an effort to expand Bay Area rail service, EDA held discussions with Union Pacific to share the East Bay’s logistic needs. This resulted in Union Pacific expanding its tunnels in the Sierra Nevada that enables service by double-stacked rail cars and reduces delays caused by avalanches (2009).

EDA helped Miles Inc. /Cutter Biological, a Bayer subsidiary, obtain a precedent setting 30-year development agreement with the City of Berkeley, saving 650 jobs and generating hundreds of millions in new investment. The facility is now Bayer’s worldwide headquarters for biologics, employing 1,400 (1992).

EDA worked with three cities and the State to include Bayer’s facilities in Oakland’s Enterprise Zone. This effort created $10 Million incentive package that prevented Bayer from moving manufacturing out of the State and saving more than $100 Million in investment, as well as 1,400 jobs (2009).

EDA supported Kaiser Permanente with various site alternatives analyses to establish site requirements and evaluate alternatives for a new medical center in the Oakland-Emeryville area (1993).

EDA partnered with EDA member PG&E to pull businesses out of recession by training PG&E field staff to identify businesses in trouble or possibly relocating (1994).

EDA played a lead role in helping locate Hart Brewing (Pyramid Ale) in Berkeley: over $10 million invested and 110 new jobs created, while enhancing business clusters and development of the area (1996).

EDA initiated a series of international business retention and marketing trade missions that eventually include Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China (1998).

EDA played a large role in rescuing the existence of TeamCalifornia by volunteering to staff this entity when state staffing and fiscal support was lost. EDA coordinate its state marketing presence at industry tradeshows, ad campaigns, and online for three years until TeamCalifornia restructured to support and sustain itself (2003).

Years after the Loma Prieta earthquake, EDA worked with the city of Oakland, Citizens for Emergency Relief Team, and Caltrans on behalf of businesses relocating or otherwise impacted by the reconstruction of the Cypress freeway to resolve differences and reach an agreement on fair market compensation (1998).